The Other Side Of The Fence

“My name is Nathan Wilson, and I'm 25 years old, and I'm serving time for robbery,” says the inmate.

Nathan Wilson has been in the Mustang Program for about a year and a half.

The recent prospect has been in his assigned pen for about a week now.

He'll be the 3rd horse Wilson has trained for the border patrol.

“I heard about it and when I was given the opportunity to come to this camp, I was trying to get in here from day one. Why not? I'm in prison, why not do something positive,” says Wilson.

He hasn't worked with the horse yet, but he says because the big bay will be followed by television cameras, he needed a good name.

“You guys are doing a story on him might as well give him a good name, Hollywood, couldn't be better name than that.,” says Wilson

But naming the horse will be the easy part.

On his first day of training, Wilson will try to get the horse used to him, and if he's lucky Hollywood will want to make contact.

“Trying to establish a communication between me and this horse,” says Wilson as he tries to get Hollywood to trust him.

The process takes time and patients, something Wilson says he had a short supply of when he first entered prison.

“This is the hardest work I've ever been involved in you've got to stick with it. You cant just start something and say oh I'll just go get a cup of coffee I'll do this and I'll do that, you've got to stay with it until something happens or you are going to lose all progress, I mean this is hard work this is not easy,” says Wilson.

And with that attitude Wilson meets a force of nature.

Hollywood gets close, and goes nose to nose with the inmate.

Its a moment that last for nearly a minute because Wilson wants Hollywood to know he's safe.

Over the next couple of weeks , with Hank's help, he gets on Hollywood for the first time.

“I think he'll do well, he's pretty gentle I don't think he's to worried about me being up there. He might give a hop or two, but other than that I think he'll be all right,” says Wilson before his first ride.

“Everybody falls out here a lot and all you can do is get back in the saddle . I think its an adrenaline rush I like it,” says Wilson.

Trailer loading is the next big step.

After an hour and a half, the horse finally gets into a confined space that would frighten any horse at first

Wilson is excited his horse is making good progress, Hank Curry says the inmate too has shown tremendous progress.

“He wants to make each horse better, to find a better way to communicate with the horse. (4:25) You have to admire a guy that is positive in what he is doing especially in here,” says Curry.

And that pride in his work will show through Hollywood, and ultimately impress US. Border Patrol Agents from Tucson, El Centro, and San Diego

“I'd rank him as number one as being the most affectionate, the most gentle the most willingly to join up with me,” Wilson says when referring to Hollywood.

And it is those attributes along with mastering beginner skills which land Hollywood a spot on the U.S. Border Patrol.

After a little more than four months the horse is loaded into a trailer and heads down the road.

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